In the field of beverage dispensing products, there is an obvious need in providing and/or adding flavors to consumable fluids such as alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, coffee and tea in a fast and convenient manner at a location of their consumption. The use of convenience type flavoring and dispensing devices has been recognized as an effective way to flavor beverages or drinks and accommodate the needs of a modern consumer. An essential advantage of such flavoring and dispensing devices is in their use at locations remote from regular food or drink preparation areas. These devices can also be used to add flavor in the kitchen environment without utilization of special equipment such as mixers, etc. Such dispensing devices are particularly useful in party and office environments, bars, restaurants, home entertainment areas, recreational areas and any other environment at which beverages are prepared, served and consumed. It appears that there is a very limited number of available prior art flavor dispensing devices which are capable of dispensing a flavor into a respective consumable fluid or drink based on vacuum breaking principal.
Many of the prior art dispensing devices are structurally complicated and often adapted for use by both hands of a user. This approach usually is not convenient to a consumer, especially considering that in the environments where the devices of the invention are often used, one hand of a user is typically occupied by food or eating utensils. Thus, only one hand of the user is available for activation of the dispensing device. Furthermore, there are practically no liquid dispensing devices available which are adapted for use by manually challenged individuals such as arthritic persons and other individuals with limited hand dexterity. Despite a number of dispensing devices on the market, there remains a need for a disposable dispensing device which is comfortable and easy to hold and operate, especially in view of the user's physical limitations.
Thus, it has been long felt and an unsolved need to provide an apparatus and method for dispensing and mixing flavoring substances such as fluids into consumable drinks which are simple in structure and reliable in use, wherein operation of the device can be used by many individuals especially in the circumstances where only one hand of a user is available.